Jensen Ranch’s Ms. Galloway Named Teacher of the Year
The Jensen Ranch Elementary Jaguars can all roar a little louder. Their PE teacher, Nancy Galloway, was awarded 2022 Teacher of the Year by the Alameda County Office of Education at an event last Thursday in Castro Valley.
Eighteen district-level honorees were selected by the 16 participating districts. The honorees were recognized for their individual dedication and excellence in the classroom.
Ms. Galloway's classroom happens to be held mostly outside. She has been a teacher for 35 years, following in the footsteps of five family members who also were in the profession including her grandfather, father, and mother who was also a coach.
“I am a teacher because I believe in children and I believe that if we accept and value and support every child regardless of circumstances that they’re going to help this country and this world and I just believe they’re going to make it better.”
"I am a teacher because I believe in children and I believe that if we accept and value and support every child regardless of circumstances that they're going to help this country and this world and I just believe they're going to make it better," Galloway said in a video segment spotlighting her award.
She says she often uses group work because students learn to help and support each other.
"I think the thing that makes me the happiest is when a kid says, 'I did it,'" Galloway added.
Her colleagues note Ms. Galloway prioritizes the formation of positive relationships to facilitate learning. believes her job is to give each of her students the skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessary to be lifelong healthy movers.
"She always embodies the type of person she expects from the kids by modeling that for them all the time," Jensen Ranch 3rd Grade teacher Shana Seidel said. "She's there to always remind us that if you don't deal with the problems on the playground, you can't get to the work in the classroom."
In addition to teaching PE at Jensen Ranch, Ms. Galloway is a teacher leader in the California Physical Education Health Project where she contributes to the professional growth of PE teachers across the state.
"Nancy Galloway is an extraordinary teacher in every way and truly deserving of recognition," Castro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi said. "She teaches life skills that students can carry with them throughout their lives. Nancy teaches physical education standards with fidelity in the most engaging manner, always keeping in mind the social-emotional well-being of every child. She is a wonderful mentor supporting teachers throughout Alameda County and beyond."